What it means
صفت (sefat) means “adjective.” Borrowed from Arabic (root w-s-f, “to describe”), it covers any word that describes a noun: بزرگ (bozorg, big), قرمز (qermez, red), خسته (khaste, tired). It is the standard term in Persian grammar instruction.
How to use it
- یک صفت بنویس (yek sefat benevis) “write an adjective”
- صفت تفضیلی (sefat-e tafzili) “comparative adjective”
- این کلمه صفت است (in kalame sefat ast) “this word is an adjective”
How it appears in Persian sentences
The sefat comes AFTER the noun, linked by the ezâfe vowel -e. So “big book” is کتابِ بزرگ (ketâb-e bozorg), literally “book-of big.” This is the opposite of English. The ezâfe is silent in writing but voiced in speech, and it locks the noun and adjective into one phrase.
Cultural note
The post-positioned sefat is the single biggest grammar shift for English speakers. “A red car” reorders to ماشینِ قرمز (mâshin-e qermez). Persian children learn this pattern automatically by ear, and Persian poetry leans on it heavily, with strings of adjectives chained by ezâfe to layer description without breaking meter.
References
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